#cal trask

[sunshineslut]

East of Eden // Genesis 4:9

[andreai04]

It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.

[caindepot]

something about adam parrish and cal trask. about being cursed through blood, about fighting your own nature, about being punished for showing too much weakness and being scorned for not showing enough, about acting out against your own wishes, about feeling like you’re destructive and poisonous and wrong, about wanting so desperately to be good and learning that you can be, about being loved and seen for who you are by the one person who recognises all the broken parts in you.

[maikodelight]

honey, you’re familiar like my mirror years ago

idealism sits in prison

chivalry fell on his sword

innocence died screaming

honey, ask me, i should know

i slithered here from eden just to sit outside your door

[malinaa]

John Steinbeck, East of Eden

[aliensamba]

East of Eden (1955)

[ninadove]

Alas… They were made for contrapuntal poetry… 😔

AO3 version here and alt text below!

Cal:

Come back!

I did not mean

to hurt you —

Well perhaps

I did,

but

only

for

that split

second.

Always

I put up a fight,

nurture

empty words;

which lie do you prefer?

You have no idea

how hard it was —

how much I love you.

I didn’t mean it!

I take it all back!

Come home,

brother!

Aron:

To the beginning,

to scrub you off my nails —

that’s where I’m headed.

My best —

it was never enough,

a joke,

a viper’s nest

as the punchline!

To the imperious call

I surrender,

nature

birthing sin.

How to live

when Heaven spat you out?

You read me all wrong,

every single one of you —

man, sinner, worshipper!

???

Come back // to the beginning:

I did not mean // to scrub you off my nails,

to hurt you —

Well, perhaps // that’s where I’m headed.

I did // my best,

but // it was never enough:

only // a joke

for // a viper’s nest,

that split // as the punchline,

second

always // to the imperious call.

I put up a fight, // I surrender:

nurture, // nature,

empty words // birthing sin —

which lie do you prefer?

You have no idea // how to live,

how hard it was // when Heaven spat you out,

how much I love you.

I didn’t mean it — // you read me all wrong.

I take it all back! // Every single one of you,

Come home — // man, sinner, worshipper,

brother!

[beautifulbookishdisaster]

"My father made a mold and forced me into. I was a bad casting but I couldn't be remelted. Nobody can be remelted. And so I remained a bad casting."

John Steinbeck, East of Eden (Adam Trask)